At 21.07 hours on 2 July 1943 the unescorted Hoihow (Master William Mackensie Christie) was hit by two torpedoes from U-181 and sank by the bow within 3 minutes 105 miles west-northwest of Mauritius. At 02.00 hours on 1 July, the U-boat had spotted three freighters in the harbour of Port Louis, Mauritius and waited for them to leave. Two of them left in the morning on 2 July, the second was Hoihow which was then chased for about 10 hours and sunk. The master, 90 crew members, seven gunners and 47 passengers were lost. Three crew members and one passenger were picked up by the American steam merchant Mormacswan and landed at Montevideo on 25 July.